W A T E R

Namibia Desalination: Next Steps

AUTHOR: Grace Kangotue TraineeResearcher@ RDJ Consulting

Many regions around the world suffer from water scarcity, either due to limited freshwater resources or increased demand from growing populations and industrial activities. With what is estimated as over a billion people globally lacking access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, water access is an urgent issue Access to clean water and effective water management is therefore essential for human well-being, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and achieving the set United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Water is one of the basic human needs, but with this said, humans cannot survive without water Despite its importance for human life, water has substantial effects on social, economic, and environmental aspects of development. Climate change exacerbates water scarcity globally as it affects the water cycle, water availability, and water resources management

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) in its 2022 “Synthetic Report on the state of food nutrition security and vulnerability in Southern Africa” reported that about 100 million Southern Africans (37%) do not have access to safe drinking water This means disadvantaged communities, especially those living in rural communities and informal settlements do not have access to safe drinking water, exposing them to diseases and socio-economic challenges.

In Namibia, the water demand is estimated to reach 583 and 772 million cubic meters per year by 2025 and 2030 respectively Although, The Namibian government’s target in NDP5 was 100% and 95 % access to safe drinking water for its urban and rural population, respectively, by October 2022 only 99% of the urban and 87% of the rural population were said to have access to potable water.

Namibia faces significant water scarcity challenges

During the “Namibia Water and The UN 2023 Water Conference Preparatory Meeting” in October 2022, the construction of a “new bulk water infrastructure including a desalination plant to supply water to the central coast” was mentioned as one of the strategies to improve water scarcity issues within the country. Desalination plants have been considered as a potential solution to address water shortages, particularly in coastal areas

Desalination provides an additional source of fresh water by converting seawater or brackish water into potable water, reducing the strain on traditional water sources. Desalination projects already exist in Namibia ranging from small to large, including the Akutsima a small-scale desalination project in the Omusati region; the Trekkopje desalination plant owned by Orano based in Swakopmund with a capacity of about 20 million cubic meters per annum and currently producing at about 60% of its capacity. There are also commercial public plants such as the Grunau and Uis Pilot Rural Groundwater Brackish Desalination Plants owned by NamWater in the Kharas and Erongo regions, sustainability. Machine learning algorithms can learn from historical data and real-time operating conditions to optimize energy consumption without compromising water production quality

Membrane fouling detection and mitigation: Membrane fouling is a common challenge in desalination plants, leading to decreased efficiency and increased operating costs. AI can analyze sensor data and historical information to detect early signs of membrane fouling and recommend appropriate cleaning or mitigation strategies This helps maintain the performance and longevity of membranes, reducing operational costs

Water quality monitoring: AI can facilitate real-time monitoring of water quality parameters during the desalination process which will allow early detection and responses to changes in water quality ensuring the production of high-quality freshwater consistently

Optimization and control: By applying machine learning techniques, AI can optimize the operation of desalination plants, by adjusting variables such as flow rates, pressure, and energy consumption to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.

Predictive maintenance: AI can be used to predict equipment failures and optimize maintenance schedules which can help prevent downtime, reduce repair costs, and improve the overall reliability of desalination plants

Do you think that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can enhance desalination plant production and assist countries achieve SDG6 goals? The conversation continues at editor@rdjconsulting.africa

Readings: https://www sadc int/sites/default/files/202208/SADC RVAA Synthesis Report 2022-ENG pdf https://sdgs.un.org/sites/default/files/202211/NAMIBIA%20inputs.pdf https://www who int/news/item/18-06-2019-1-in-3people-globally-do-not-have-access-to-safe-drinkingwater-unicef-who https://www.wasserressourcenmanagement de/en/592 php

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of desalination processes and can play a significant role in the field of desalination through the following methods:

Energy optimization: Desalination is an energy-intensive process, and optimizing energy consumption is crucial for https://cdn orano group/orano/docs/defaultsource/orano-doc/groupe/publicationsreference/publication-groupe/orano annual-activityreport 2022 online pdf?sfvrsn=d8c77707 14 https://drfn org na/storage/app/media/NamWaterGrunau

Bethanie/Bethanie Media Reports pdf https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/synauta/machine -learning-delivers-energy-savings-desalination